The Birmingham Stallions (8-0) and San Antonio Brahmas (6-2) find themselves in almost identical situations heading into Week 9 of the inaugural United Football League season.
Both have already locked up spots in their respective conference championship games, and both will play the same foes in Week 10 that they’ll meet in the opening round of the postseason.
But before Birmingham faces Michigan twice and San Antonio tangles with St. Louis in back-to-back contests, the USFL Conference rep Stallions and XFL Conference’s Brahmas go toe-to-toe in the Alamodome. And Saturday’s 2 p.m. showdown (on ABC and ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM) could potentially be a sneak preview of the UFL Championship Game.
“San Antonio has a really good football team at 6-2, and statistically they’re probably the best defense in the league, giving up the fewest amount of points,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said. “I think they pose some problems for our offense, and I think it’s got a chance to be a great matchup and we’re looking forward to it.”
True, the Brahmas have allowed only 131 points this season, placing them at the top of that category.
And San Antonio safety Jordan Mosley leads the UFL in total tackles with 67, teammate Tavante Beckett, a linebacker, is second with 63, and LB Jordan Williams is tied for third with 58.
“Coach Phillips, if you look at his track record of success and what he’s done, especially with his defensive background, his football team right now is very aggressive,” Holtz said. “They’re built on speed … it’s not so much the problems they give you schematically as much as it is athletically with what they’ve done.”
Yet, as tough as the Brahmas resistance is, the Stallions are No. 1 in total defense (242.8 yards per game), with safety A.J. Thomas’s three interceptions tying him for first in the league. And nose tackle Carlos Davis has six sacks, which gives him a share of the top spot in that group.
On the flip side, Birmingham leads the UFL in all major offensive categories, which has the full attention of Brahmas boss Wade Phillips.
“Their offense is No. 1 in the league and their defense isn’t quite as good as their offense, but that makes them a good team,” he said. “The things they do well has them undefeated at this point and they haven’t lost a game in two years. They’re doing it with a lot of the same people and running the same offense they’ve run for three years.”
By way of comparison, the Stallions score 29.5 points per game to 20.4 for the Brahmas; put up 371.8 yards on average to 295.6; and have tallied 27 touchdowns to 19 for the Texas club.
“Ricky Pearson just continues to be a warrior and a force running the ball,” Holtz said of his back, who has 329 yards and six rushing scores. “He’s doing a really nice job. And I think (quarterback Adrian Martinez) has been very diligent and calculated with what he’s doing in the way he’s running the offense right now.”
Martinez is the circuit’s rushing leader with 431 yards (he’s also scored three times running the ball) and is 102-169-2 passing for 1,375 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had a hand in five TDs and totaled 217 yards in last Saturday’s 35-28 victory over Houston.
“Their quarterback leads the league in rushing and has more yards that (San Antonio running back) John Lovett, but he can also pass, too, obviously,” Phillips said. “You can force him to throw the ball, but he had 200 and something yards last game. He’s the leading MVP player so far this year.”
Thirteen different receivers have caught passes for Birmingham, with Deon Cain amassing 400 yards and three touchdowns on 29 catches and Marlon Williams scoring four times and racking up 251 yards on 19 receptions.
Jace Sternberger also continues to excel, and has been on the paydirt side of two tosses while racking up 291 yards.
Chase Garbers started the season at quarterback for San Antonio but was sidelined due to injuries after going 75-106-1 through the skies for 586 yards and six touchdowns. Phillips said he’s available on Saturday, although Quinten Dormady has run the offense in five of the Brahmas’ eight games.
Dormady is 85-142-6 for 974 yards and five TDs. He was outstanding in a 20-15, Week 8 win over Arlington, going 17-25-0 for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Jontre Kirklin has 45 receptions for 421 yards and five touchdowns, with Cody Latimer contributing 35 catches for 366 yards and a score.
Lovett paces the ground game with 422 yards and five touchdowns.
“They’re hard to run against, but I think we’ll be able to run the ball against anybody, so we’ll see,” Phillips said.
As for the Stallions, it’s a matter of rinse and repeat as they seek their 16th consecutive victory dating back to 2023.
“I think what we have to do right now is we have to continue to get better and continue to strive for improvement as we get ready for the playoffs,” Holtz said. “We’re excited about where we are, and excited about the opportunities in front of us.”